Whether it’s clothing, food or a listening ear… Helping Hands Resource Center in Beckley helps those in need in the community.
“We serve probably now around roughly 1,000 families a month, in the neighborhood of 3,000 or so people,” said Howard Mollohan — board of directors member and past treasurer. “We went down some after COVID, and we have climbed back up and are doing quite a bit now.”
The program has been around for more than 25 years. They previously only served Raleigh County but now it’s the whole state. Food boxes vary in size depending on the size of the family.
“Family of one receives a certain amount of food. A family of four, five or six might receive 60, 70 pounds of food, then they have the opportunity to go into the clothing room,” Mollohan said.
Food Lion is providing a grant for helping hands to do some work on their building.
The market also provides food — Howard says they pick up there seven days a week. Periodically they get food donations from various churches in the area. He calls it a community endeavor that’s definitely needed.
“We don’t turn anyone away,” he said. “We just try to provide people that are needy with things that they need.”
For Howard, being involved in the program all these years has been quite something.
“Every day you come up here and work and you laugh at the fact that you’re retired you’ve been lifting boxes and so forth,” he said. “And all of a sudden that one person will come in; it just tears you apart — and you’re just happy to provide them with food and clothing.”
